The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-01-15

he had set his heart on having, you see,
and 1 couldn't help thinking-what if he
should lose it?
John took the money, and put it in the
till of that old blue chest in the corner
there. That was one Sunday morning,
when John didn't have to be at the fac
tory. always shall think the man was
looking through the window and saw
John put it there. He had been prowl-
ing about the house, suppose, and hap
pened to look in at just the right time.
Anyway, that's what 1 shall always be-
lieve about it, for how else, I'd like to
know, should he have known anything
about it? But there; I'm telling you my
opinion, and what you want to hear, 1
suppose, is what happened.
One stormy night, about week after
that, John went off to his work as usual.
L felt kind OF nervous some way, though
Icouldn't tell why 1 felt 80. I've won.
dered good many times since then if L
didn't have sort of presentiment of
what was going to happen. But made
up my mind that it was the storm and
the wind that kept bowling round the
house that made me feel so, and didn't
say word to John about it.
The child, there, was about two years
old then. [ told her stories for an hour
or two, and then, when she began to feel
sleepy, sung to her, and it wasn't long
before she was tucked up in bed, fast
asleep. Then got my knitting and sat
down by the fire, and worked till the
clock struck nine. By that time I was
sleepy and concluded I'd go to bed too.
must have slept about three hours,
for when 1 woke up the big clock on the
city hall was striking midnight.
AS lay there listening to the clock,
l heard step in the hall. The first
thought that came TO me was that some-
thing had happened at the factory, and
that John had come home. But as the
steps came near the door L knew they
were not Johns. [ was wide awake in a
minute, and the wonder is that I didn't
get up at once. At first I thought
would, and then I thought perhaps it
would be better to keep still and see
what was going to happen. Getting up
and rushing out into the other room
wouldn't help matters any, and it might
make them good deal worse.
The steps came to the kitchen door
and then paused. Then I heard the door
opened softly, and some one came into
the kitchen. The door between the
kitchen and bedroom was open trihe,
and as I looked out saw man with a
lantern in his hand. He stood there,
listening.
You can well believe I was frightened.
l didn't dare to stir or scream. / just
lay still and looked out of the least little
bit of crack in my eyelids. I knew the
man as soon as got good look at his
face. He was great, burly fellow, who
had been hand in the factory some time
back. I had heard John say that he had
been discharged because the proprietors
thought he stole.
He stood there less than a minute, [
| suppose, but it seemed to me that it was
more than an hour. Then he came toward
the bedroom. He pushed the door open
softly and looked in, holding up his lam
tern that he might see through the OPEN
ing. I shut my eyes tight then. He
stood there and watched me for time,
with the light shining full in my face. 1t
was terrible, terrible. didn't dare to
move muscle. was in agony for fear
the baby would wake up. / felt sure
then, and 1 do now, that he would have
killed me if he had thought was awake
You can't have any idea what I suffered
as lay there. It seemed to me that life
just depended on my keeping still, and
to keep still under such circumstances
was pretty hard thing to do. I don't
pretend to say that I'm more courageous
than lots of other women, but don't be-
lieve you can find many who would brave
it out in that Kind OF danger better than
I did.
By and by he seemed satisfied that I
was asleep, and turned away from the
bedroom door, leaving it wide open. I
saw him go over to the old blue chest,
and 1 knew then what he was after.
1 breathed easier when his back was
turned. 1 didn't dare to stir, though,
but just lay there with my eyes wide
open and watched him. 1 saw him take
big bunch of keys out of his pocket
and try several before he found one that
fitted the lock of the chest. Pretty soon
he found one that would open it. He
turned the cover back against the wall
and went to rummaging about in the till
for the money that was covered up with
some old cloth and papers. 1t wasn't
long before he found it, and after max
ing sure it was what he was after, he put
it in his pocket and shut up the chest.
You can't imagine how felt when
knew that poor Ben Green was likely to
lose his money. He had worked so hard
for it and depended SO much on it to help
him get home, that losing it would be
like death to him. I wouldn't have felt
so bad if it had been our own, I'm sure.
When he had closed the chest he took
up the lantern and came back to the bed
L l.